"We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come."

Joseph Campbell

June 29th, 2187

Samantha Traynor

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It was a lovely dream of green grass, a sunny field, a babbling brook. She slept on the blanket with her lover, a woman of soft skin, ample breasts, a round shapely bum, and those wide eyes bouncing above her low, protruding cheekbones. The cheekbones were the first thing that caught Samantha's attention when they met. Ok, that was a lie, it was the very tight, low-cut dress and the wondrous cleavage, but those cheeks, ah those cute cheeks—both pairs.

Campbell once said the woman looked like a chipmunk. How rude! Campbell was always popping off, stupid marine. But here in the sun she looked... Hey! Where did the sun go? Where did she go? Samantha rolled over, instead of grass she felt bedsheets. Damn, it was only a dream. Or was it? The girl was real. She was certain.

Her mouth was dry and she was waking. "Mrrphm."

"What's that babe?" said a familiar voice.

Samantha felt the empty space beside her and sat upright in bed. Her eyes remained closed. She blinked a few times to get the lubrication going, then squinted in the dim light. Diana was in the kitchen in her underwear, chewing on a protein bar and washing it down with water. He skin still showed signs of recent dampness, but her hair was dry and styled. Samantha glanced around for the time.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"0630 give or take a few minutes," said Diana.

"Bloody hell!" said Samantha. "You let me oversleep."

Diana smirked. "I wanted first dibs on the shower."

Samantha grumbled. "We could have shared."

"Ha! Sharing with you always turns into sex, which means we go over our water ration and the shower cuts off, just about the time I finish getting off. And oops, forgot to wash the conditioner out of my hair! I have an exclusive with Hackett in just over two hours," said Diana.

"It's not a video broadcast," said Samantha. "Remember, he only agreed to an audio."

"I still don't want to interview the most important man in the Alliance with greasy hair," said Diana.

Samantha sighed. "Well, if you put it that way, but I expect you to make it up to me tonight."

Diana wrinkled her nose. "Make up what? I didn't do anything wrong. You're just thinking of another reason to get me to sleep with you."

"Well, of course, why wouldn't I?" asked Samantha.

"Baby, you don't have to coerce me, I'm yours," said Diana.

Samantha giggled. "Oh, really, Ms. Allers, all mine, huh?"

Diana rolled her eyes. "Hey, it was just a term of endearment, not to be taken literally. I'm old fashioned, nobody owns my heart until there's a ring on this finger."

"Wow!" said Samantha. "Is that a hint? So I gather I'm the one who has to come up with the proposal."

A devious expression crossed Diana's face. "Well, you are an alliance solider, and that makes you..."

Samantha interrupted her by throwing a pillow, which Diana brushed off with her shoulder.

"Hey!" said Diana.

"I cannot believe you just tried to go there!" said Samantha.

Diana cocked her head to the side and grinned. "You don't know what I was going with it."

Samantha crossed her arms and pretend pouted. "Were you going to say that I am the masculine woman in this relationship, or something equally obnoxious, like butch? Oh you would have been in soooo much trouble? That pillow may have just saved you a night on the couch."

Diana, who had just taken a drink of water to swallow the last of her protein bar, spit it out and began choking, laughing, choking some more, until Samantha became concerned.

"Are you going to be ok, do you need the Heimlich maneuver, perhaps some oxygen?" asked Samantha.

Diana waved her hand wildly, gasping. "No, no... sorry," before spasmodically coughing some more.

"What is wrong with you?" asked Samantha.

Diana took a deep breath. "Butch? Did you just say the word butch? Sorry, I just about lost it. Aside from using such an obscure and antiquated word, the mere thought of that word applying to you..."

Samantha was puzzled. "That's what was so funny that you nearly choked to death?"

"You, my dear," said Diana. "Are the world's biggest nerd. You play chess, and strategy games, you are... really smart. That's where I was going."

"So smart people are supposed to propose?" asked Samantha.

Diana said. "Well, in chess, as they say, it's your move."

Samantha sighed. "Oh, how very clever of you. Nice recovery. Do you come up with things like this in your interviews?"

Diana nodded. "I am a master of witty colloquialism and flirty banter. I am also quite proficient with the double entendre. I have a silver tongue."

Samantha teased. "Hmmm, I just woke from a dream about that tongue of yours, but I don't believe there were any words involved."

Diana put her hands on her hips. "You thought that was a dream, did you?"

"Oh no, not that, last night was very real, but, well, just before I woke up, there was grass, and a blanket, a blue sky, and we..." Samantha trailed off.

"Oh God, us on a blanket, a blue sky, grass. That sounds like a good dream," said Diana.

"It was," said Samantha. "Have you thought about it?"

"The blue sky and grass or the sex?" asked Diana.

"No, marriage. I mean, have you really thought about marriage and proposals?" asked Samantha.

"Wow, the way you switch lanes, Traynor. Remind me never to let you drive," said Diana.

Samantha sat all the way up in bed and tucked her knees under her chin. "But have you thought about it?"

Diana blushed and fidgeted. "Maybe a little bit, I might have imagined. I mean with all that's happened. Just the idea of it is more appealing to me than it used to be; the stability for one. There are so many orphans, Sam. They'll need... it's just easier if you already have a foundation. Am I scaring you?"

Samantha shook her head. "Not at all. I feel the same way. I want everything. The blue sky, the grass, a house with a white picket fence and children playing all around, the whole package."

"Oh, you are a romantic I see," said Diana.

Samantha yawned and stretched. "I thought I was a nerd?"

Diana's eyes locked onto Samantha. "That's just mean, all those sweet words, then showing off the goods when I have to get ready for work."

Samantha stood up on her knees and let the sheets fall away completely. "Do you like what you see?"

Samantha could hear the patter of Diana's feet across the bare tiles. Suddenly, she found herself tackled onto the bed.

"You little minx," said Diana. "I am so going to be late."

_____________________________________

Samantha was still smiling as she pushed her way through the crowd. Jupiter station was a madhouse these days. It was one of the few space stations in the Sol system that the Reapers hadn't destroyed. Like Jump Zero, they'd used it as some sort of a holding area, perhaps an indoctrination center. She shivered and put it all out of her mind before it ruined her good mood.

"Traynor!" yelled a familiar voice.

She turned to look behind her, then grinned when she saw a muscled hulk wedging his way through lesser mortals. "James Vega!" she called.

He gave her nod, but his expression remained stone. "You on the way to the shuttle?" he asked.

'He seems unhappy,' thought Samantha.

She recalled a bit of secret intel that Diana had dropped on her; something about the N7 program being discontinued.

"Yea," she said. "How did you guess?"

"A little birdy told me," said James.

"Ah, so I imagine you're coming along for the ride?" asked Samantha.

"If you're meeting Dr. T'Soni," said James.

"I am," said Samantha.

"Good," said James. "Need to talk to her."

"Sounds serious," said Samantha.

James shrugged and remained tight lipped as he pushed through the crowd beside her. He remained out of character—no nicknames, no teasing, not even a smile. Dr. T'Soni? She'd never heard him use that name before. It was always, just plain old 'Doc'. The only time that Samantha remembered Vega acting this way was the day they left Earth behind. The N7 training must have been really important to him. They finished the walk in silence.

Samantha half expected Cortez to meet them, but this was not the case. The shuttle was an Asari craft guarded by a Krogan. He motioned for them to enter, then closed the door on them. There was barely enough room to sit among the boxes, canisters, and other clutter. The cockpit was set apart and the Asari pilot waved at them through a window, indicating that she was about to begin transit. Samantha settled into her seat, turning her legs slightly away to avoid a large crate that stuck out.

Once they were underway, Samantha decided to break the ice. "I'm sorry to hear that the N7 program folded."

James shrugged. "No big deal."

Despite her better judgement, she pressed. "And yet a big tattoo," said Samantha.

"It still means something," said James. "But there's a new program, can't talk about it yet. It's going to be far out, chido. I'll be a trailblazer."

'So what is eating you Mr. Vega?' wondered Samantha. Number two on the list, if it isn't a man's career, it's always a woman.

"So, how are you and Ash?" she asked.

He set his jaw. "No such thing anymore. I'm flying solo."

Samantha leaned forward. "I'm sorry. I thought that was going somewhere."

"Nah, not really, I mean, I like her, and the chichis on that woman, oh man! Er, sorry, hope that didn't offend you."

Samantha grinned. "Not offended at all. I'm a pretty big fan of her chichis myself."

James laughed. "You're all right Traynor. Anyway, it went sideways fast with Ash, and I wasn't invested enough to stick around and take the hits."

"I noticed something changed with her, even before we got back," said Samantha.

"All she could talk about was Shepard, and to be honest I was feeling it too," said James.

Samantha sighed. "Finding out about her family can't have been easy."

"Yea, and then when they took the Normandy away she went loco," said James.

"How bad?" wondered Samantha.

"Her and Joker are on Jupiter station in the bar, holding court, building a monster tab," said James. "They've been there for days. They're big Alliance heroes so the barkeeps don't have the cojones to give them the boot like they ought to. Man, it's getting ugly, real ugly."

Samantha groaned. "That's not going to look good. As soon as brass gets word of this, there will be bloody hell to pay."

"Yea, that's why I need to talk to Doc. She's the only card I have left to play before this thing goes bust and the two of them wind up in the brig. Ash has too much to lose here. I tried to find Garrus, but he vanished right after he got the Spectre gig, no goodbye, nothing. Esteban is busy running supplies back and forth to Arcturus, and Sparks is back with the Quarian fleet I guess."

James sighed and shook his head sadly. "Seems weird, busting up the crew like this, all of us going our separate ways. I don't like it. Man, I even miss Javik. Never thought I'd say that."

"I know how you feel," said Samantha.

"You do, eh? From what I've seen, you're not missing a thing," said James.

Samantha blinked. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I heard that you're bunked up with Allers, damn impressive, Traynor," said James. "Funny thing is, the Commander called that one early on, during a Tuchanka drop. If she was still around, Garrus and I would owe her a hundred credits each."

Samantha cocked an eyebrow. "She called it that early, did she?"

"Oh yea," said James. "Right on the numbers. I think her exact words were 'I wonder how long it's going to take Traynor to get her own exclusive with Miss Allers?' or something to that effect."

"Ha!" said Samantha. "Shows you what she knew. I mean, I noticed Diana's finer assets of course, but at the time I only had eyes for our esteemed Commander."

"Oh, you too? I guess if Liara wouldn't have been around, you and I might have been at odds," said James.

Samantha crossed her arms and shook her head. "You had no shot, Vega, no shot. Trust me on that one. If Liara wasn't around, then it would have been me, or that ex-Cerberus yeoman—even Diana had a better chance than you."

Vega looked mildly insulted. "Is that so?"

Samantha nodded. "Unless there was a lot of alcohol involved and it was a tossup between you and the Prothean, and then, who knows?"

"Oh, that is cold. Diablos! Traynor, what did I ever do to you?" asked James.

"Take a guess!" said Samantha.

James shrugged. "Just spill it, Traynor."

"That! Right there, that's the problem," said Samantha.

"What?" asked James.

Samantha pointed at herself. "What did you call me?"

"Oh, I see," said James. "Sorry about that, Chata!"

Samantha was indignant. "Chata, that's the best you could come up with? Isn't that Spanish slang for lesbian?"

James broke out into laughter. "No, no, chata means cute nose. Give me some credit."

Samantha blushed and put her face in her hands. "Oh, bloody... how embarrassing. Ok, how about we give it a trial run?"

James smiled. "Sure thing, and thanks for this."

"For what?" asked Samantha.

"The comradery, you know, I've missed this. Our crew—well, we've been through it. We've seen things no one else has seen. Probably things no one else will ever see again in millions and millions of years, if we're lucky. The other soldiers, the guys I've been assigned to temporarily, they ask, but they don't believe half of it," said James.

He hunched over, hung his head and sighed. "Man, I worry. She was so amazing, and... and the years will go by, and you know how the history books are written. They'll play it down, rewrite it to fit the politics. I'll be that guy telling stories, and all the kids will think I'm just some cascarito slinging bullshit, and I'll start to doubt it myself. I don't ever want to feel that way."

Samantha kicked his boot with her own. "Hey, none of that! We won't let that happen. Diana won't let it happen. She's been recording it all, collecting it all. Liara too. We'll never let them do that to Shepard."

"Yea," he said.

He looked doubtful. Samantha couldn't think of anything else to say to cheer him up. Fortunately, something in the shuttle distracted him and did the work for her. He pointed out a cylinder in the back of the shuttle. Samantha remembered it as well, having seen Shepard, Tali, Liara, and EDI play around with it just previous to the Chronos mission, or was it after?

"Isn't that something from the Normandy?" asked James. "I mean, not Doc's junk, but I thought that was Alliance property."

"I'm not sure," said Samantha. "Why don't we ask her when we see her?"

"Sounds like a plan, Chata," said James.

Samantha sighed. "I'm not feeling it, no offense."

James looked thoughtful. "Yea, I know what you mean. It's not right. Let me think on it awhile, we probably have some time. By the way, where are we headed?"

"I have no idea," Samantha confessed.

"I figured we'd be on some Asari ship by now," said James. "And there's no viewers on this damn thing."

"I heard she was staying on Earth, someplace secret," said Samantha.

"Well find out soon enough," said James.

As if on cue, the pilot signaled that they'd reached their destination. They felt the craft bump down onto a hard surface.

"Grab an oxygen assist mask. They're on the seats behind you," said the pilot. "The atmosphere is still thin in this part of the Citadel."

Samantha shuddered. "The Citadel? I had no idea we'd be here. How is it even operational? Isn't this Reaper technology as well. Are the Keepers even alive?"

James grabbed two portable breathers and gave one to Traynor. "I guess we'll find out soon enough," he said.

The shuttle side door slipped open to reveal Dr. T'Soni and two assistants, both Asari. They were carrying small containers. Samantha reflected that it was strange seeing Liara amidst her race. In fact, she could not recall a time where she had ever seen the Asari interact with her own kind. It was always Drell, or Volus, or Humans, or Turians, or even Salarians. It troubled Samantha, though she could not understand why.

Something about their location was familiar. The buildings were dark, streets were choked with debris, and there were no Keepers in sight. It was haunting, and the smell, the smell was horrible.

"Mierda, that smell! It's eating right through the mask," said James.

Liara nodded somberly. "The Keepers have cleared away most of the bodies but there were so many. It will take some time before the smell of death is gone. That's why I had you wear the masks. The air is breathable now, though not if you are exceptionally tall."

"This is the Silversun strip!" exclaimed Samantha. "I didn't recognize it at first."

Liara produced a weak smile. "Yes."

"Hey, do you need us to carry anything?" asked James, pointing to the shuttle.

"No," said Liara. "I was just here to retrieve a few mementos from Josslyn's apartment. There have been reports of scavengers and I wanted to make sure that I did not lose something dear to me."

James scratched his head and looked back at the shuttle. "So, um, where is all of this stuff going?"

"Planet side," said Liara. "I am staying on Earth for the time being, until the Citadel is fully restored."

"Where are all the Keepers?" wondered Samantha. "I haven't seen a one. You'd think they'd be working on the rubble."

"According to my sources they are massing in the hidden parts of the station, mostly near the Presidium. As to why, it is anyone's guess," said Liara.

"They're alive though," said Samantha. "And aren't they Reaper tech? Doesn't that worry you?"

Liara shook her head. "The Keepers evolved along a different path, perhaps millions of years ago. Apparently they diverged enough that they were immune to the signal that destroyed the Reapers."

"That makes sense," said Samantha. "At least it makes me feel better. Oh, and, I am ready to help. You did ask for me, right?"

"Yes," said Liara. "I need your help down on Earth. I have certain... communication needs."

"Right," said Samantha. "I'm your girl, I mean, as far as the job."

Liara mock sighed. "Only the job? I'm disappointed. Well, I guess what I hear about you and Ms. Allers is true."

"Does everyone know? Wait, did you just make a joke?" asked Samantha.

"She did," said James. "Mixed in with some impressive flirting. Damn Doc, you're catching on!"

Liara tipped her head in Vega's direction. "I've learned from the best."

"You probably listened in on every conversation I had with Shepard, am I right? Don't hold it against me Doc," said James. "It was all in good fun."

"Never, James," said Liara. "You were always a good friend to Josslyn. She thought highly of you. I won't forget that."

"Yea," said James. "And I'll never forget her, never, Doc. I promise."

Vega was overcome with emotion for a moment. His eyes glistened and he set his jaw firmly in